Towel-holder.



G. M. HUBINGER.

TOWEL HOLDER. APPLlcAmN FILED AUG.33. |915.

l '/Al, Patented Muy 28,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. Nl. HUBINGER.

TOWEL HOLDER. APPLlcATloN man Aue.2a. 1915.

92%? 5&1@ Patented May 28, 1918.

2 SHEES-SHEET 2.

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i livery and collection of towels, to prevent misuse and loss of towels, and generally to improve the construction and operation of devices of this class.

lt consists in the peculiar construction,

arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawing like characters designateA the same parts inthe several n l 1s a perspective view. or a towel Fir holder and cabinet embodying the invention; Fig. 2 isa vertical transverse section -the same from the holder; and'llig. 7

of the same showing the cabinet equipped with a single holder; Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section on a greatly enlarged scale, of a holder without the cabinet; Fig. l is an enlarged sectional detaill view of a screw stud for locking the hanger rod in the stationaryA supporting bracket, and a key for unscrewing the stud; Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5, Fig. 7, of one of the lock stops forming a part of the device; Fig. 6 is a section lon the line 6-6, Fig. 7, in connection with a key for releasing the stop and removing 1s a section on the line 7 7, Fig. 6.

In its most complete embodiment, the invention includes a cabinet c, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is preferably made in two separate sections, an upper section b, form.

ing a compartment for hanging clean towels, and a lower section 0, forming a compartment for holding soiled towels. The two sections or compartments may however, be made inseparable, or the lower section or compartment may be omitted, and a basket or other receptacle used to hold the soiled speeieedon of mettere Patent.

v Patented May d, itali..

appunti@ slee. .liegen es, 1era. semi iro. esta towels, or the cabinet. may be dispensed with altogether and the hanger brackets attached Vto the wall of a lavatory, .toilet or other c, is omitted, the upper section b is secured tota wall or'other support at a convenient height for use. When, however, the lower sectlon is used, it serves as a base or support for the other section and the cabinet need not be fastened to the building.

The sides of the upper section are formed wlth openings d, which are preferably enlarged at their upper and lower ends, as shown in Fig. l, through which towels may be conveniently withdrawn one at a time, from the hanging compartment b. The top of the upper section is preferably made similar to a roof, in two parts sloping downwardly from the center to the sides, and a central vertical partition or hanger support e, extends from the front to the back of the cabinet just below the top. To opposite sides of this partition or support are attached `metal brackets f, which are formed with oppositely projecting and downwardly inclined sockets g, the inclination of the sockets preferably corresponding with lthe slope of the top members. Metal hanger -rods it, are removably fitted at one end in the sockets g, and are held therein by any suitable means. When the brackets 7 are inclosed in a cabinet and are inaccessible'except through a door e', which may be provided with a lock as shown in Fig. l, er in caseit is not necessary or desirable to prevent removal of the hanger rods from the brackets, the rods may be fastened in the brackets as'shown in Fig. 3, by loose pins j, inserted in transverse holes in the sockets and engaging annular grooves k in the rods. To avoid losing or misplacing these pins, they may be connected by chains or cords 1, with the cabinet or the support to which the brackets are attached. In case, however, it is. desired to prevent the removalof the hanger rods k from the brackets except by those authorized to remove them, as for example, employees of a laundry which supplies the towel service, the transverse holes in the sockets g are threaded and provided with screw studs j', one of which is shown in Fig. 4, and. which. can only be unscrewed -so as to release the rods, by means of a key m, with which the driver or collector for the laundry is furnished.

The end of the hanger rod it, which is fitted in the socket g, is preferably rounded or tapered, as shown in Fig. 3, so that it ma be thrust into place and fastened in the soc et when a loose pin j is used for the purpose, without touchmg the pin.

At their opposite or outer ends, which are made, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to project through the openings d in the sides of a cabinet, when a cabinetis used, the rods it are bent upwardly and then downwardly, to retain the clean towels o, thereon, as shown in Fig. 2, the towels being formed or provided preferably at one end, with eyelets or metal gromets p, as shown in Fig. 1, and strung upon and suspended from the rods, on which they tend to slide downwardly toward the free ends of the rods against the sides of the cabinet, when a cabinet is used, or against the upward bend of the' rods by which they are arrested, if no cabinet is used.

Flexible transfer holders g, which may be made of chains, as shown, or of wire or spiral metal tubing, are inseparably attached to the outer or free ends of the hanger rods la., for permitting the free use of the towels when they are -withdrawn from the rods and for confining them and preventing their improper use, loss or abstraction after they have served their proper purpose.

To prevent the unauthorized removal of the towels from the holders and'to facilitate their collection and delivery, each holder is provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with two lock stops 7', one removably fitted on the hanger rod h adjacent to its rounded or tapered end, which is inserted in the bracket f, and the other removably fitted on a short bar or rod s, inseparably connected with the loose end of the chain or flexible transfer holder 'These lock stops are preferably constructed, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, and consist of a casing made of two flanged circular disks t and u, one fitted within and secured to the other, and two opposing lockin jaws c, which are movably confined in t e casing, and are yieldingly pressed and held together by bow springs 2, interposed between them and the opposite sides of the casing or the inturned flange of the disk t, as shown in Fig. 7 The disks t and u are formed with outwardly anged central openings freely fitting the' rod z. or bar s, and the inner edges of the jaws are centrally notched or cut away to form, when they are held by the springs w in contact with each other, an oblong opening m, which is in alinement with the openings in the casing, but whose shorter transverse diameter is less than the diameter of the rod k and bar s. The jaws are thus adapted to be sprung over the rounded or openin s with a notch in the inturned mar- 'nal ange of the disk t, as shown in Fig. the flange on the opposite side of the disk being cut away sufficiently to permit the jaws to be spread or separated by a key 8, to clear the groove y and release and permit `ghe removal of the stop from the rod It or ar s.

The lower section or compartment c 4of the cabinet, is formed in the upper part of the sldes wlth openings 4 through which the loose ends of the chains g or flexible holders are thrown with the soiled towels thereon, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the operation of the device the rods L are supplied with clean towels which are' strung and fastened thereon by lock stops 1', at the laundry, and wrapped with the chains or iexible holders g, ready for delivery and use. Drivers or .employees of the laundry distribute the packages of clean towels, thus wrapped on the hanger rods, to customers, collecting the soiled towels with the holders on which they have been used and from which they are removed at the laundry, for unlocking the stops 1', only the drivers or distributers and collectors of the towels being furnished with keys to the cabinets a or keys m for operating the locking studs j and removing the hanger rods L from the brackets f when cabinets are not used.

As they are required for use, the towels are drawn one at a time through the openings d of the cabinet, when a cabinet is used, over the bends at the outer free ends of the hanger rods L upon the chains or flexible transfer holders g, which are of sufficient length to permit of the free and convenient use of a single towel by one person, or a number of towels by several persons at the same time.

The cabinet may be made in different sizes and provided with one or more hanger brackets f, and the hanger rods la, may be made of different lengths for more or less towels according to the requirements of the service.

The cabinets a, or hanger brackets f, may be located at such an elevation, and the chains g, made of such length as to prevent the use of the towels' for wiping shoes or other improper uses.

Various changes in the details of construcwhich keeps the key or keys 3 tion and arrangement of parts other than those hereinbefore mentioned, may be made, without departure from the principle of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A towel holder comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to a vertical Wall and formed with an outwardly and downwardly inclined socket, a towel supporting rod removably fitted at one end 1n said socket and formed at the other end with an upward and downward bend, a flexible transfer holder attached at one end to the free end ofthe rod and provided at its other end which is unconined with a removable stop, and means for fastening the rod in the bracket.

2. In a towel holder the combination of a wall bracket formed with a socket, a portable hanger rod removably fitted at one end in said socket, a iexible transfer holder inseparably attached to the other end of the rod, and lock stops removably attached to the free end'of the transfer holder and to the rod adjacent its opposite end.

3. In a towel holder the combination of a bracket formed with a socket, a rod fitted at one end in said socket and formed adjacent to that end with an annular groove, a Iiexible transfer holder inseparably attached to the other end of the rod and provided at its loose end with a bar formed with an annular groove and lock stops removably fitted on said rod and bar" and having movable jaws adapted by` engagement with the grooves therein to hold the stops thereon.

4. In a towel holder the combination of a bracket formed with a socket," a towel supporting rod tapered and removably fitted at one end in said socket and formed adjacent to that end with an annular groove, a flexible transfer holder inseparably attached at one end to the other end of the rod and provided at its other end which isunconfined with a bar having a tapered free end and an annular groove, and spring lock stops removably tted on said rod and bar and adapted to automatically engage with said grooves and to be disengaged therefrom by a key.

5. In a towel holder the combination cfa portable rod adapted to be detachably fastened at one end to a support, a exible transfer holder inseparably attached at one end tothe other end of said rod, and lock stops removably attached tothe free end of the transfer holder and to the opposite end of the rod.

6. In a towel holder the combination of a portable rod removably fitted at one end to a support for dispensing towels, a flexible transfer holder inseparably connected at one end with the other end of said rod, a lock stop removably connected with the rod adjacent its end opposite the transfer holder, and a stop on the transfer holder.

7. In a towel holder the combination of a cabinet having upper and lowercompartments with side openings for the withdrawal of clean towels from the u per compartment and the insertion of soi ed towelsin the lower compartment, a towel hanging 'rod removably fastened at one end in the upper compartment of` said cabinet and inclined downwardly ltoward the opening therein, the side of the cabinet serving to hold the towels on said rod until `,they are withdrawn therefrom, a Hexible transfer holder attached at one end to the free end of l said rodv and unconfined at the other end,

and lock stops removably connected with said rodadjacent to its supported end and with the loose end of the exible holder, which -is adapted to be thrown with soiled towels 'into the lower compartment of the cabinet through the opening therein.

8. In a towel holder the combination of a cabinet having a vertical opening with an enlarged upper portion in a side wall for removal oftowels as they are required for use and a door for the insertion of a sup ly o x clean towels, a hanger rodv adapted to e de tachably fastened at one end in said cabinet at a downward inclination toward the enlarged upper portion of said o ning, the side of the cabinet in which t e delivery opening is formed serving to hold the towels on the hanger rod until they are withdrawn therefrom, and a exible transfer holder fastened at. one end to the free end of said rod and provided at its other unconned end with a stop for retaining soiled towels thereon.

In witness whereof I hereto ax my nature in 'presence ofA two witnesses.

a ,GEORGE M. morn. Witnesses: A

Cms. L. Goss,

Amon E. Goss.

sigy 

